Thursday, March 7, 2013

Make a Few Dollars from Home in Your Spare Time

Many of us are always looking for a way to earn a few dollars, but getting a job (or another job) isn’t always an option. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or just someone looking to pick up some extra cash in your spare time, here are some easy (and fun) ways to make an extra buck or two in those rare moments between to-do list items:

Online surveys – Taking surveys online is a fun way to get some extra cash — and even swag! You can do a survey or two while you’re watching TV, waiting for dinner to cook, or even on your smartphone as you sit in the waiting room at the doctor’s office.

photo courtesy of google images

Survey sites pay out in different ways. Some give you points for each survey you take, which you can save up to redeem for various prizes. Some reward you a dollar value per survey, which you can request by check once you’ve acquired a certain amount. Some will send you products to test, which means you get a free product (anything from dog food to cleaning spray) and you get paid to use it. Some even invite you to take place in discussion forums that reward you in things like Amazon gift cards. If you’ve got an opinion and enjoy sharing it, this can be a fun way to do that and get a little something in return. Do a Google search for “best online survey sites” and you’ll find a ton. Just make sure they don’t ask you to pay anything to join — any legitimate site will be free.

Fiverr.com– The sky’s the limit with this site, which lets people to advertise any variety of random services for $5 a pop — and I mean any random variety. Are you a knitter? Offer to send someone a video teaching them a new pattern. Do you have a cute pet? Offer to pose it with a sign saying whatever the recipient wants and send them a photo of it. Just take a look through some of the current offerings on Fiverr and you’ll see that people will pay for pretty much anything. This could be an entertaining way to use your talents and creativity to earn a few bucks.

photo courtesy of google images

Etsy – If you’re crafty, this can be a great way to turn your hobby into a side business. Whatever you make — be it jewelry, pillows, or handmade soap — there are lots of people looking to support individual artisans and get one-of-a-kind products through this site.

Amazon Mechanical Turk – This is a great place to find short, easy tasks to do when you have a few free minutes. You can do projects ranging from the small for a few dollars (test whether a company’s new site is working, write captions for photos) to large for as much as $20 – $30 (writing an article, transcribing an audio recording).

photo courtesy of google images

Sell Your Stuff – Whether you prefer eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace, there are plenty of people out there who would be happy to buy your no-longer-needed stuff. You get rid of clutter and make some extra cash! Opt for eBay for collector’s items that would fair well in a bidding atmosphere, Craigslist for big items like furniture that require local pick-up, and Amazon Marketplace for media like books, CDs, video games and DVDs.

*Kelly Gurnett writes for QuickQuid, UK's premier online loans lender and one of the most trusted online lenders in the UK. She also runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do.